• Have you always been at a family's home for Thanksgiving and never cooked a turkey on your own? Don't worry! It's actually way easier than you think. We always make a turkey over the holidays, even if we're not going to be home for Thanksgiving. You can freeze leftover shredded turkey for fabulous future meals! (I will be including a "leftover turkey" recipe in each week's meals for the next several weeks so go ahead, make one - or two! - this year).
• If you don't have a good roasting pan with a v-rack, you can find one for around $20 and can use it throughout the year to roast whole chickens. If you use a disposable roasting pan, support in underneath with a sturdy rimmed baking sheet.
• I haven't made our turkey yet, so when I do I will add photos.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 turkey (size desired for your family)
• salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 onions, cut into wedges
• 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp fresh minced thyme (optional) + 6-12 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
• chicken broth (about 2 cups)
• kitchen twine (can buy this at grocery store or ask your store's butcher for a small piece)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325. Remove neck and giblets and chop into 1-inch pieces.
2. Rinse turkey, inside and out and pat dry with a clean towel or paper towels.
3. Tie the lets together with kitchen twine (bring them up slightly to rest on the body cavity and tie)
4. Tuck the wings underneath the body (to prevent burning).
5. Gently tear membrane (skin) near body cavity opening and rub/massage 2 tbsp of unsalted softened butter over the breasts and underneath the skin.
6. Brush/rub the top of the turkey (over skin) with remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. If desired, stuff turkey cavity with 6-12 sprigs fresh thyme and 1 of the wedged onion.
Ready for the oven!
7. In a roasting pan with a v-rack, place chopped veggies and 2 tbsp chopped thyme (if using) in bottom. Place v-rack over veggies and spray with oil and add about 2 c. broth.
8. Place turkey breast side up on rack and tent loosely with foil.
9. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices (use a pastry brush if you don't have a baster) or brush with melted butter. Add more broth as necessary if veggies begin to scorch.
After cooking for about 1 1/2 hours. Getting brushed with melted butter. Notice we did not tuck wings under as they were too big. We'd wrapped them in foil so they wouldn't burn.
10. After 1 1/2 hours, remove foil and continue to roast until thigh registers 175 degrees. See chart below for estimated cooking times. If turkey begins to brown too much, re-tent loosely with foil.
11. Remove from oven, tip juices into pan (wear clean oven mits or use clean kitchen towels) and move to a carving board. Cover loosely with foil and let stand 15-20 minutes before carving.
12. Reserve pan drippings and veggies for gravy.
TURKEY COOKING TIMES:
12-14 lbs 2 - 2 1/2 hours
15-17 lbs 2 1/2 - 3 hours
18-22 lbs 3 - 3 1/2 hours
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